Retro 80s and 90s K-Dramas

If you love retro 80s and 90s stories, these 13 Korean dramas are a good place to start, from twinkling watermelon, reply 1988 and twenty-five twenty-one. Each page has the story, the cast and where to watch.

Twinkling Watermelon

2023 · tvN · 16 episodes

Twinkling Watermelon tells the story of Eun Gyul, a CODA who is born to deaf parents but has a natural gift for music.

Reply 1988

2015 · tvN · 20 episodes

In a small Seoul neighborhood in the late 1980s, five families live so close that their doors are never really shut.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One

2022 · tvN · 16 episodes

In 1998, in the shadow of a national financial crisis, high school fencer Na Hee-do dreams of becoming a champion.

Youth of May

2021 · KBS2 · 12 episodes

In Gwangju in 1980, medical student Hwang Hee-tae, a golden boy from a comfortable family, meets nursing student Kim…

Through the Darkness

2022 · SBS · 12 episodes

Seoul in the 1990s is being shaken by a series of brutal, apparently random attacks, and the police have nothing.

The Worst of Evil

2023 · Disney+ · 12 episodes

In 1990s Seoul, a young police officer goes undercover to break a gang that is pushing a new drug across the city.

Life on Mars

2018 · OCN · 16 episodes

Han Tae Joo is a modern, by-the-numbers detective who trusts data over instinct.

My Perfect Stranger

2023 · KBS2 · 16 episodes

Two strangers, a young news anchor and a woman who once wanted to become a writer, are thrown back to 1987 through a…

Boyhood

2023 · Coupang Play · 10 episodes

In the late 1980s, a small, bullied boy transfers to a rough agricultural high school where fists decide everything.

Reply 1997

2012 · tvN · 16 episodes

In 1997, Shi Won is a high school fan of a famous boy band, and she and her five friends in Busan share everything.

Snowdrop

2021 · jTBC · 16 episodes

In 1987, a wounded man leaps into the dormitory of a women's university in Seoul, and a student named Yeong Ro finds…

Typhoon Family

2025 · tvN · 16 episodes

The story takes place in 1997 when South Korea is hit by a major economic crisis.

Undercover Miss Hong

2026 · tvN · 16 episodes

Set in the late 1990s, Hong Geum Bo is an elite supervisor at the Financial Supervisory Service who lives only for her…

Questions about Retro 80s and 90s K-Dramas

What are the best Retro 80s and 90s K-Dramas?

Our top picks are Twinkling Watermelon, Reply 1988, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, followed by Youth of May. Open any drama for its story, cast and where to watch.

How often is this list updated?

Automatically. The list changes as new dramas air, episodes come out and streaming links change.

Can I watch these dramas in my country?

Availability differs by country and changes over time, so each drama page shows where it is listed. Check the service in your region before you subscribe.

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Episode, cast and poster data from TVmaze. Descriptions are written by DramaHog.